Wednesday, December 9, 2015

Navy SEALS May Dive Deep on Ketones

Research on oxygen toxicity suggests Navy SEALS
may benefit from higher ketone levels during deep dives.

A few days ago I linked to a study
showing that a particular fatty acid, decanoic acid, could be
responsible for at least some of the seizure-suppressing power of one
version of the ketogenic diet. According to SeaPower Magazine, the Office of Naval Research (ONR) is
banking on an alternative explanation by funding research on
ketone-ester oral supplements in the hope that they can quell the
potentially deadly seizures sometimes experienced by special ops scuba
divers.

For stealth, NAVY seals, for instance, use closed-circuit rebreathers on their oxygen supplies. While these devices minimize bubbles visible on the water's surface (a giveaway to SEAL-wary enemies) and allow for very deep dives, they also increase the risk of hyperbaric oxygen poisoning. Seizures are an occasional and usually lethal side effect oxygen toxicity.

The research, led by University of South Florida neuroscientist Dominic D'Agostino, is based on the theory that the ketone esters themselves are hefting the weight of seizure control. Underlying that idea is the observation that when brain cells burn ketones instead of glucose they become less seizure prone. The association between ketosis and seizure suppression is well established, but the causal mechanism--or mechanisms--is still hotly debated.

D'Agostino fed ketone esters to rats that were then put in deep-dive-simulating hyperbaric chambers. Compared to a control group that did not get the ketones, the first group was significantly less likely to have seizures. What's more, they also performed better on other physical and cognitive tests.

So, it seems that while specific ketogenic-diet-related fats reduce seizures, so do the presence of ketones, even when those fats are not present. At least in rodents. This suggest that the ketogenic diet may have more than one seizure-suppression mechanism going for it.

3 comments:

This is my first time i visit here. I found so many interesting stuff in your blog especially its discussion. From the tons of comments on your articles, I guess I am not the only one having all the enjoyment here keep up the good work ketone supplements

As usual Rin is extremely uneducated and ignorant. Just bitterly lying about a low carb diet to justify her obesity and out control carb cravings. If you google rinfox24 you will see how obese she is unless she took down all her pics after the last time she was exposed. She really doesn't have a clue about nutrition.

All grains make you fat. It doesn't matter if they're ancient or whole grains. They provoke hunger and inhibit nutrient absorption. All sugars make you fat, natural sugars too.

A ketogenic diet for beginners is one that is low carb and high fat. You need fat to burn fat and to feel full and to absorb vital nutrients. You need it for your brain and organs to function. For healthy skin, hair and nails. Carbs you really don't need so much.

You replace fat for carbs for your energy source. The fatter you are you eat more fat to burn it. You feel full all the time. Calories aren't equal. its the type you eat and not how many. If you eat low carb high fat you can eat way more calories than you ever though and still lose. If you eat low fat high carb however you have to starve yourself because thats a fattening diet.I would have to say a low ketogenic diet foods! It is a fast way to lose some weight! I am on it and am very pleased with the results I only wanted to lose ten pounds and I lost more in about a 21/2 week period and you can definitely tell! For low carb you start out by eating 20g of carbs a day for 2 weeks. By just doing this it will shock your body and after three days you will be in a state of contoses. The state of contoses is where your body will run off the 20g of carbs and the already exsisting fat/carbs and burn them away! After 2 weeks of 20g you should go to 30g for another 2 weeks, 40g-2 weeks,50g 2 weeks.. Then drop back down to 20. It is a quick way I lost.

Gordy Slackwrites about neuroscience, evolution, the environment, and science & religion for manypublications. He has written for The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times,New Scientist, San Francisco Magazine, Salon, and The Scientist. He is the author of The Battle Over the Meaning of Everything: Evolution, Intelligent Design and a School Board in Dover, PA.Slack is currently working on a book about epilepsy.

g.slack@gmail.com

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